Rebound
by A-Knew
Summary: They punch you in the stomach, knock you on your back and stomp on you. Then you're expected to jump back on your feet, smile and act like nothing ever happened. Relationships started on the rebound never work out. Sparx/Nova


Well after a rather prolonged death I have finally come back, new name, new experiences, and more importantly - a new story!

You should be warned, as I've noticed some people don't like them, that this is a **Human Fic. **And unlike other authors I won't spend eroneous amounts of time on describing them as humans, I will instead be describing them in different ways through out the story. Also, this **_is_** as Sparx/Nova fic, they will be together at the end, no matter where they are now.

And just so you guys know and don't too high expextations, even though it is summer I'll be working on several different - and very time consuming - projects, as well as be traveling throughout the country to vist family and I won't always be able to update when I want to, I will however try to keep my updates fairly regulare.

Thank you-

Shays

* * *

Unblinking pink eyes swiveled from left to right and back again, an untrusting gaze set firmly on the pacing individual in the cell she stood in front of. Behind her Gibson was explaining how, after all their care and precaution, the unexpected had been dropped into their laps not even half a year after the great war with Skeleton King and his army had been put to an end. Her fingers twitched, restrained by her arms crossed tightly before her chest and for a moment she wondered if the wave of anger coursing through her veins suddenly was truly hers or if Otto was wrong in his assessment of the shields he had installed in the brig.

Distantly she heard Chiro ask a question - in the midst's of her occupied mind she could barely hear them as they spoke around her - and after some mutterings from Gibson it was Antauri's calm voice that filled the tense air, putting a sense of composure into the team. The sound of the second command's voice was startling to her distant thoughts and she found herself blinking as his deep tones fell over she and the others. "No, I don't think so, while it's true that there _is_ Power Primate within everything I doubt it held a part in this..." She shifted her gaze, unable to look away from the honor demanding form that was Antauri, watching as the silver haired man silently stepped up to the bars of the brig, blue eyes focused on the now still thing. "I believe the answer lies within -"

The creature had moved in her peripheral and her attention jumped back to it, taking a quick step forward her hands fell before her in prepared, tightly clenched fists. The motion was slight, only a moment as she watched the thing slant its gaze _just __**so**_, that allowed her to throw her weight forward and shove the Antauri out of the way from reaching hands as a limber form went lurching forward towards the open face cell door. Electricity hummed in the air as an arm of the creature slipped through one of the holes in the grid iron door. An enraged howl filled the air as the shielding did its job - a fact she could kiss Otto for - and the slim arm was wretched back towards its owner.

"_Shut __**up**__!_" She had been livid when this had all begin that morning and an echo of the war attempting to harm her friend was not helping her short temper. In the cell, glaring at her with hateful black eyes - familiar black eyes - the thing cradled its arm for a moment before turning its attention to where Otto and Chiro were helping the mechanical man back to his feet. Clenching her fists she ushered a warning to the thing through clenched teeth. "Uh un, not on your life, you want to take a piece outta someone you're going to have to get past _me_."

In the war she had been assigned the task of 'Tactical Commander' - what any sensible person in the dojo she had been trained in would call a General - and had quickly fallen into the role of a protective mother bear when it came to her friends and their allies' safety. After they finally had won, a relief to them all, she hadn't stopped feeling responsible for her team being safe and her protectiveness was only enhanced as her friends only seemed to become more idiotic when it came to dangerous situations. Even the wise and ever level Antauri was showing signs of foolishness with his getting into arms length of the thing in the cell, one of many 'goofs' her teammates had made over the past months.

The creature grinned at her, a look that seemed so familiar that she almost visibly blanched, eyes focused very hard on the thing and _not_ on - "Well if you insist," A chill ran down her spine, as she began to break into a cold sweat. It wasn't from fear, but much rather the entire wrongness of what was happening, that she reacted as she did. No, it was Sparx - red headed, cocky and to brilliant at being a pilot for his own good - that made her suddenly want to run and hide.

Or much rather, the silky smooth, very _evil_ copy of Sparx that was grinning at her from the cell.

Behind her, stumbling over his com. pad, Gibson stuttered out what she thought was 'astounding' before he began a frantic typing. The creature - the other Sparx - laughed at them. "What's the matter Babe? Don't want to play now that I started mouthing back?"

The anger from before went crashing back onto her shoulders and she nearly went through the cell to end the look-a-like's miserable little existence when a hand, hesitant and uncertain of contact, rested uneasily onto her tense shoulder. Dark eyes, so different and so very the same as the ones that watched her with a villain's glee from the cell, met her own soft hued gaze and she cringed at the sight of the pilot.

The flinch, though unseen by the rest of the team in its small motion, made the red head shrink back and remove his hand. A guilty look passed over his face for a moment and he looked past her to his double ganger. "Nova..."

She turned away from him, he hadn't said her name - let alone in such a way - since a month prior. Always managing to speak to her or gain her attention without actually _saying_ her name. The way the copy looked her up and down in interest suggested that he had seen what had just transpired between the two of them and the urge to punch the thing was only stopped from becoming her next action when Chiro spoke. "You talk?"

Black, furious eyes slowly slide over to the boy - man, she thought for a brief, solemn moment, there were very few boys left who had fought in the war - as the grin turned into a thin lipped scowl. "So do you, guess even _idiots_ are doing it these days."

Chiro frowned, his expression growing annoyed as he looked to his silver haired mentor. The spiritual advisor only folded his arms behind his back as he straightened his back. It was Otto who broke the uneasy silence that had fallen over them. "Hey guys..." The slow, cautious note to the mechanic's voice was telling of something - or rather something _else_ - was wrong. The other's had turned their attention to the green haired man, his young looking face pulled into an uncharacteristic frown as he looked over one of the computers. She stood facing the adjacent wall to both the cell and the team, arms once again crossed before her as she watched her friends with a slightly tilted head. She wouldn't be turning her back on the double ganger - cell or no cell - in the foreseeable future. "I'm getting some funny readings from the Fire..."

Adjusting the wire framed glasses he wore Gibson stepped forward, standing beside the mechanic to look at what the green haired man had found. "What kind of readings? Has there been a power spike or maybe..."

Otto shook his head, typing a few commands into the computer. "Nuh uh," the screen nearby came to life, the colors of it flickering as the screen showed the fire in its hidden cell. The Fire of Hate, along with the other two components that had been used to revive the Bone King, were all that remained of their greatest enemy. Careful that no one would be able to revive him - or anything else - again the three mystical relics had been separated and put in the care of several of their allies. They had decided to keep the Fire in their care. "It looks like its shrunk."

She blinked, her carefully guarded expression slipping into that of confusion at her friend's statement. The fire wasn't large, that was for certain but it was large enough that she could tell whether or not it had changed sizes, unless it had shrunk to such a degree that it was impossible to see with just a look. Sending a curious gaze towards the long haired mechanic she wondered if he had figured out some sort of imperceptible device that allowed him to see such things at a glance. Antauri seemed to understand what he meant.

"As I suspected..." He took a step towards the screen tilted his head to the side. Noticing the glances he received, save from Otto, he gently coughed before explaining. "What I believe Otto is saying is that the Fire, while not _physically_ shrinking, has had a significant decrease in power." His grin returning Otto bobbed his head up and down excitedly, his playful black eyes shutting as he did so. Frowning at the news she sent a glance towards the look-a-like, noticing as he watched in interest. He looked as if he was just as interested in this new development as they were and she wondered for a moment if other than cause absolute mayhem if he understood his purpose. She had her doubts.

"So it's getting weaker?" Sparx sounded hopeful, stepping forward with a furrowed brow. "Does that mean we can destroy it?" They hadn't been able to destroy any of the elements, nor had they even been able to harm them. Antauri had done his best to explain it, 'strengthened by Skeleton King's influence', though she wondered herself if their dark aspects weren't simply protected by the universe, light needs dark and all that.

Gibson stepped back looking thoughtful. "No, I don't believe so...for one the Fire is mystical in origin, to destroy it would take much more than a simple bucket of water - no matter how weak it became." Removing his glasses the blue haired male frowned, rubbing his chin absently. "I do wonder though if our..._friend_...over there," Gibson's voice became flat as he gave a hard glare to the man in the cell. "is the cause of the Fire's sudden weakness or a symptom."

"What do you mean?" Her head tilted to the side as she asked, curiosity overwhelming her. Gibson shifted, looking over to her with a thoughtful expression.

"Well..." He removed his glasses and rubbed them against his shirt for a moment, black eyes thinking over his next sentence. "I believe it has to do with Sparx' possession..."

The pilot in question blinked, looking startled as being named as the source of their latest problem. "What? Me? What'd I do?"

Replacing his glasses Gibson avoided his brother's gaze. "It's just a theory...but..." He sighed, looking to Otto beside him for support. "I've done extensive research on the Fire since it has come into our watch, going back as far as I could and..." She wasn't looking at the scientist as he spoke, knowing very well that his nervous gaze had settled on her, "No one has ever broken the hold the fire held over its host. No one has ever come out of a possession alive..."

Silence fell over the room for a moment, she could feel hesitant glances jumping between her and Sparx. Turning away from them she took a small step closer to the cell, the double-ganger turned his attention away from the blue haired man and onto her and for a moment - a fleeting, confusing moment - his dark expression seemed to become nearly, sympathetic? Closing her eyes, she tightly wrapped her arms around herself in a stubborn fashion. She didn't need pity, not from her team, and most defiantly not from a copy of the man who had left her. After a moment Chiro, his voice lower than normal, spoke. "So, what does that have to do with anything? How does that involve our _guest_ over there?"

There was a pause as the blue haired scientists coughed, she knew Gibson hadn't taken his eyes off of her. He had told her that same bit of information two months before hand, confidentially comforting her in her fears that perhaps a relationship with a renown womanizer wasn't her best idea. It had done the trick, until a month later when Sparx had broken it off. She knew the scientists felt guilt over his condolence, as well as a little resentment towards the pilot. She had told him she was fine and had left it at that.

"Even though the Sparx is free of the Fire's control, there is still a strong connection between them." Antauri took over where Gibson had left off, his deep voice offering comfort to them all. "A part of the Fire within Sparx, a part of Sparx in the Fire...or at least that how it _was_. Now, however, with the Fire weakening the balance has been thrown off."

"And the fire spits out Mr. Cranky here." Antauri nodded to Chiro, and as she opened her eyes she saw the pilot's look-a-like snarl at the boy. She almost grinned at the darker version of her teammate looked put out at being called 'cranky'.

"So what now then? What do we do with..." Sparx fell off, he and his reflection catching each other's glare. She rolled her eyes at them.

"Knock it off." They turned to her as she dropped her hands to the side, walking up to the cell door. Just out of the man in the cell's reach, she knew how to handle Sparx - no matter what form. "We do what we always do, we Shoogazoom safe." The double-ganger, still cradling his arm slightly, walked up to the door to meet her gaze. To her left she heard Sparx shift, nervous hands touching the switch that would turn in high tech gloves into his formidable magnets. She ignored him, as his other form silently studied her face. A slow grin made its way onto his face.

"You just can't stand the thought of not seeing my pretty face can you babe?" Staring at him for a moment she slowly turned away from him, heading for the door. She paused just inside the doorway, knowing the team was watching her.

"Don't call me babe."


End file.
